Enjoying Life With Do As You Please System

"You’re actually moving that like it’s nothing," Val said, resting her hands on her hips as she watched me rack four forty-five-pound plates on each side of the barbell. She wasn’t even breathing hard, despite having just finished a set of heavy squats that would’ve folded a normal gym bro in half.

"I could say the exact same thing about you," I replied with a grin, stepping up to the bar and wrapping my hands around the knurling. "I watched you warm up with my max bench press. I was starting to think you were secretly a human-shaped forklift."

Val let out a genuine laugh, wiping the fine sheen of sweat from her forehead with a towel. "Occupational hazard. You don’t survive high-stakes security work by slacking on leg day, Seth. Though I have to admit, I didn’t expect a guy who spent years working late shifts in a restaurant to have a body like this."

Working in a kitchen is basically endurance training, just with worse pay and more grease fires," I said, setting my feet and taking a deep breath before starting the lift.

The metal clanged softly, the weight rising smoothly off the pins as my muscles engaged. Thanks to years of hitting cheap local gyms whenever I could squeeze in an hour, paired with my new enhanced physical condition, the heavy iron felt almost weightless.

[Look at you two, bonding over heavy metal and physical labor,] Paige chimed in cheerfully. [If I had hands, I’d be throwing confetti. Should I double the weight on her next set just to see if she notices?]

’Don’t you dare,’ I thought with a silent chuckle as I lowered the bar back into the rack without so much as a grunt. ’Val already looks at me like I’m a mystery box. Let’s not make her think I’m breaking the laws of physics here. I’m not getting into supernatural side so soon.’

"Not bad," Val said with an approving nod as I sat up on the bench and grabbed my water bottle. "Your form’s clean too. Most guys your age try to ego-lift until their spine pops like a bag of chips."

"Yeah, well, ego doesn’t pay hospital bills," I said, taking a long drink. "When you don’t have health insurance, you learn real quick that bad form is a luxury you can’t afford. Besides, I’d rather watch movies on a couch than from a hospital bed."

"Movies, huh?" Val wiped down the bench beside mine, her guard dropping just enough for her real personality to show. "Don’t tell me you’re one of those guys who watches two-hour action movies just to point out how unrealistically the actors hold their firearms."

"Guilty as charged," I admitted with a laugh. "I mean, come on. Half the time the hero fires thirty rounds from a six-shot revolver without reloading once. It drives me crazy. What about you? What’s your guilty pleasure?"

"Horror," Val answered instantly, a dry smirk tugging at her lips. "Specifically bad, low-budget horror movies where the characters make every wrong decision possible. A killer enters the house? Let’s split up and check the basement without turning on the lights. It’s hilarious."

"You find people getting chased by monsters hilarious?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"When they’re that stupid? Absolutely," Val replied, racking her weights with effortless ease. "If a threat enters a building, you secure the perimeter or eliminate the threat. You don’t wander around asking, ’Is anyone there?’ like the killer’s going to answer, ’Yeah, I’m by the fridge. Want a sandwich?"

I laughed out loud, the sheer absurdity of imagining hardened professional like Val enjoying trashy slasher films making the moment surprisingly comfortable.

As we wrapped up our workout and headed toward the exit of the private gym, I realized the distance between us had melted away. She wasn’t just a stoic bodyguard anymore. She was someone I could actually joke around with.

When we made it back to the mansion, Mom was already waiting in the grand lounge, wearing an elegant cream-colored dress that looked straight off a European fashion runway. The moment she saw me dripping with sweat, her face lit up with a warm smile.

"Look at my handsome boy!" Mom exclaimed, walking over to smooth back a stray lock of wet hair from my forehead. "Did you have a good workout? You look flushed. Are you hungry? Did Valerie push you too hard?"

"Mom, I’m fine, I promise," I said, smiling despite the warm embarrassment as she patted my cheek. "We actually had a great session. But if we’re going out, I really need a bath first."

"Of course, darling! Go take your time. A warm bath will relax those tired muscles," Mom said, waving toward the grand staircase. "Valerie and I will wait for you down here. We have a very big day ahead of us!"

I headed up to my massive bathroom, practically melting the moment I sank into the hot jacuzzi tub. The jets pounded against my sore muscles, easing away the last of the tension from my workout.

[Ah, luxury,] Paige sighed contentedly. [Remember when your apartment bathtub was so small your knees hit your chest? Now you could practically swim laps in this thing.]

’Don’t remind me,’ I replied, leaning back against the padded headrest. ’I still feel like I’m going to wake up any second.’

[Well, enjoy reality, Seth. Because your mother looks like she’s preparing to conquer a sovereign nation with nothing but credit cards today.]

Twenty minutes later, feeling refreshed and dressed in a comfortable shirt and dark jeans, I walked back down to meet them.

Val had changed out of her gym clothes into a sleek dark suit that somehow looked both professional and dangerously stylish, while Mom was already checking her watch with quiet excitement.

"There he is! Ready to go?" Mom asked, taking my arm as soon as I reached the bottom step.

We headed out to the driveway, where a sleek black luxury SUV was waiting for us. As we climbed inside, I barely felt a bump as the driver steered us toward the city’s high-end commercial district.

Even though I couldn’t spot them, I knew Dad had an entire team of covert security personnel shadowing us. I didn’t know much about the hidden politics of this world yet, but the quiet, seamless perfection of our journey told me everything I needed to know. The Fernando family’s influence was absolute.

It was time for shopping, something I didn’t I would do in my lifetime.